This was the only film in the original Gamera series to be released to American theaters. It was originally presented in America by World Entertainment Corp. and Harris Associates, Inc. who re-named the film Gammera the Invincible. All subsequent entries in the series were released directly to television by American International Productions Television. Gammera the Invincible's American premiere was in New Orleans on December 15, 1966. Gammera the Invincible was heavily re-edited from its original Japanese version. Scenes were moved around and some were deleted completely. New footage featuring American actors was spliced in to create a more international feel and to replace scenes shot in the original cut featuring American extras with poor acting. Theses new scenes featured actors such as Albert Dekker and Brian Donlevy. The film was dubbed by Titan Productions, Inc. It features the voices of Jack Curtis and Peter Fernandez, who are best known as voices on Speed Racer and Ultraman.

The film opens with Gamera's awakening from the accidental detonation of an atomic bomb as a result of an aerial assault by American fighters on Soviet bombers caught crossing into North American airspace. Gamera wastes no time in causing a rampage of destruction, first destroying a Japanese research ship, then making its way to Japan to wreak havoc. In an attempt to stop the giant turtle, Gamera is sedated with a freezing agent on a precipice, and powerful explosives are placed at the base. The explosion knocks the monster on its back, and while it seems as though mankind has scored a victory, this is not the case: Gamera reveals its ability to fly. A second strategy, Plan Z, is devised to stop the monster, this time by baiting it into a rocket bound for Mars. The plan is successful and the Earth is safe from Gamera.


This movie is part of the collection: Sci-Fi / Horror

Producer: Daiei
Production Company: Daiei
Audio/Visual: sound, B/W
Keywords: Gammera; Third Eye Cinema; 1960's; Sci-Fi/Horror
Contact Information: Contributed by Jon Behrens

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

Individual Files

Write a review
Downloaded 14,357 times Reviews
Average Rating:

Reviewer: nigeldavahah - - June 12, 2010
Subject: a must see
hello

Reviewer: picfixer - - June 11, 2010
Subject: Aw come on, just take a little bite.
Japanese guys in rubber monster suits are second in my heart only to American guys in gorilla suits. This is a really silly rubber-suit monster movie that really is lots of fun. Although it could have been more fun if only at the last moment Gamera had eaten that annoying kid. Each time I watch this flick it's with high hopes for a big gulp just before "The End." Each time I'm disappointed. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

A minor mystery is how established and respected character actors Albert Decker ("Dr. Cyclops" & "Gentlemen's Agreement") and Brian Donlevy ("Wake Island" & "The Great McGinty") got roped into this project. I guess cash was tight in '66.

This is a glitch free print, and otherwise in reasonably good condition.

FOOTNOTE: "Gamera vs. Giron" (a.k.a "Attack of the Monsters") is one of many sequels. It's a lot of fun too, but it also is the most gruesome children's movie I know of. Skip it if you have young kids. It's available here at IA.

Reviewer: accalaurie49 - - June 9, 2010
Subject: My first Gammera experience
Wow! What a turtle! I was only slightly accustomed to his competitor Godzilla until now. Of course, the effects are cheesy, but one doesn´t expect more of these japanese monsters.

Of what I read in the description above, this is a version for american release, not only dubbed but reedited and with sliced in new scenes (for example Brian Donlevy wasn´t in the original film), so I am looking forward to watch the original to compare.

Reviewer: billbarstad - - January 9, 2010
Subject: Spicy Jack
Now that was a fairly entertaining 85 minutes! I'd only seen a Gamera movie before while enjoying Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Gamera!
Gamera!
Gamera is really neat.
He is full of turtle meat.
We're all eating Gamera.

My favorite parts were the often absurd use of miniatures, when newspapers from around the world were shown proclaiming Gamera's existence all with headlines in English, and especially when the filmmaker's mocked U.S. TV news analysis of the situation as an uninformed shouting match among the arrogant and crazed.

The rather harsh lesson portrayed, when disobedient and disrespectful teenagers kept dancing to the rock-and-roll Gamera theme instead of fleeing (as they were told to by a policeman) and were burned alive, was interesting.

Now why dispose of Gamera on Mars? If you can send a rocket to Mars, you can send one into the Sun. They must have had an eye out for sequels.

I downloaded the 530MB MPEG4. Video and audio quality were fine.

Reviewer: SonOfChaos - - July 20, 2009
Subject: Good?
I must admit I had not seen this film since I was a kid, and I remember thinking it was really good. So my first question when I watched this would be was this good cause I was young, or was it good cause it was good?

In this I must say the film was good, interesting and very captivating. Plenty of action, explosions and just a bit heart felt too. A very good all round film.

Reviewer: Bolexman - - June 22, 2009
Subject: great film!
This is my favorite Gammera film